Tic-Tic-BOOM!: Being Me, One Tic at a Time

Posted 3hrs ago
by Rebecca Sykes

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I’m a mum of two young boys, one of whom has Tourette syndrome.

Like many families, our journey with Tourette’s came with a lot of learning. Not just about tics themselves, but about the emotional side of living with something that other people don’t always understand.

At one point, my son told me he felt alone in being “different”. He worried about people staring at him or making comments when his tics happened. Even when those moments were brief, they could feel exhausting for him to deal with day after day.

As a parent, hearing that was incredibly hard.

Childhood can already be a complicated time to navigate, but when tics are part of your daily life it can sometimes feel even more overwhelming and frustrating — especially if the people around you don’t understand what’s happening.

That was a big part of what inspired me to write my children’s book.

I wanted to create something gentle and age-appropriate that would help my son feel seen and understood, while also helping other children learn about tics in a kind and simple way. The book is written in rhyme and designed to introduce Tourette’s in a way that feels friendly, reassuring and not frightening for young readers.

One of my biggest hopes was that it could also be something my son could take into school. Children are naturally curious, and sometimes that curiosity can lead to staring or questions that feel uncomfortable if they don’t understand what’s happening. But when children are given the chance to learn, that curiosity often turns into empathy.

More than anything, I wanted my son — and other children with Tourette’s — to know they aren’t alone.

The response from families so far has been incredibly touching. Parents have shared messages saying their children finally felt understood, and that the book helped start conversations about tics in classrooms and at home.

Awareness makes such a difference. When children grow up understanding neurological differences, they grow up kinder and more accepting of one another.

If this book can help even a few children feel less isolated, and help their friends understand them a little better, then it has done exactly what I hoped it would.

— Rebecca Sykes

You can buy a copy of Rebecca's book online here

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